


Strawberry Muffins

by hanyou_elf



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Baking, Fluff, Gen, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-13
Updated: 2014-10-13
Packaged: 2018-02-21 01:09:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2449745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hanyou_elf/pseuds/hanyou_elf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Mom used to bake,” he says carefully, as though each word of the admittance is painful to utter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Strawberry Muffins

This was a fortunate time. He was able to bake, to experiment freely, trying new recipes and combinations. It had been one of the small comforts of his pre-serum life, one of the things he’d loved doing but never had the ingredients or time or funding to pursue.

He looks up and notices Tony out of the corner of his eye, standing in the doorway, his hands in his pockets, and his lips thinned out at as he looks at the small mess Steve had made in the kitchen. Steve set the bowl he was using on the counter and turned fully to face the smaller man. The fresh scent of strawberry wafted up to him, and Steve couldn’t wait to put the muffins into a tin and bake them. 

“What’s up?” Steve asks, gesturing at the island before cocking his hip to the side as he pulled cupcake liners out of a drawer in the island. He puts a single one in each cup of the three tins he’d gotten out before placing his hands on the island. 

“What are you doing?” Tony asks, his voice distant. 

“Baking. I saw a recipe for strawberry muffins and thought I’d try it.” He shrugs, smiling at the engineer.

Tony sits slowly on one of the stools at the island, crossing his arms on the counter, his left hand under his chin. There’s a look of fondness on his face, one that Steve usually only sees around the bots in his labs. “Mom used to bake,” he says carefully, as though each word of the admittance is painful to utter. 

“Oh?”

“She did it on Sundays. It was her favorite thing to do, but with dad and her charity functions, and her own business, she didn’t have a lot of time for it,” Tony explains. He looks wistful, his eyes focused on the past, his voice so soft, so gentle. 

Steve wants what he shouldn’t, wants to wrap his arms around this man, wants to hold him close and press their lips together, but refrains. Instead, he lifts the mixing bowl he’d made the batter in, curls his left arm around it and stirs it’s contents slowly. The batter is kind of a pink color, but it’s sweet with the natural flavor of the strawberries. “Did you ever help her?” he prompts instead. 

“I wasn’t allowed to be around the oven, I was a horrible disaster when it came to executing cooking, but she’d let me mix ingredients together, let me arrange cookies on her cookie sheets, pour the cake batters. It was…” he trails off, lost in his memories. 

There’s sadness in his handsome face. And deep shadows beneath his eyes, and Steve has an idea that if Tony weren’t sleep deprived, he wouldn’t reveal so much. “Would you like to help me?” 

Tony jerks obviously. He blinks dark eyes, coming back to the present, to the kitchen he’s occupying with a soldier. He coughs, covering embarrassment behind awkwardness and stands up. “I just wanted coffee.” 

“Fill the tins for me. I’ll put the fruit in behind you,” Steve offers instead, extending the mixing bowl to the slowly retreating engineer. 

Tony looks around nervously before he steps forward and takes the bowl. He pours what looks to be exact amounts into each tin, carefully measured out and Steve can’t say anything, because it’s just so him. Perfect muffins, he doesn’t want to overfill the tins so the muffins can cook completely through, and he doesn’t want to underfill them so that they don’t over cook. Steve smiles as dumps a spoonful of strawberries into each one. They might not taste good, he’s never tried this recipe before, but he’s grateful for this moment with Tony. 

“Twelve minutes,” Steve murmurs softly as he lifts a tin, turning to the oven. He slides the other two in beside it, closing it as he sets the timer. Satisfied, he takes the empty bowl and runs hot water in it before putting it in the dishwasher. “Hand me the cutting board?”

Tony nods, handing it over. “I… when do you bake?”

“I try on Sunday, Tuesday and Friday.”

“I didn’t realize,” Tony trails off. 

Steve just smiles and puts the cutting board in the dishwasher. Satisfied, he turns and watches Tony, standing at the island with his talented arms crossed over his chest as he stares at the oven. There’s already the sweet smell of strawberries and cream cheese filling the kitchen. He likes Tony, likes the way he projects ego and the silver spoon. But he likes the man behind the mask, the philanthropist, the head of charity foundations and business man who agonizes over every little detail. The creator and the protector. The innovator. 

“I haven’t had fresh from the oven muffins since…” he murmurs toward the stove.

Steve can’t stop himself. He moves to stand beside the engineer and wraps an arm around Tony’s shoulders, in camaraderie. He doesn’t expect Tony to lean into him, his head on Steve’s shoulder as he sighs out softly, but he won’t move or shift him. He wants this. 

The timer rings shrilly between them and Tony jolts away from him, his hand sliding through his hair nervously. Steve has to hold in his own sigh and pulls the tins out, settling them on the stovetop to cool before pulling them out to finish cooling. 

Steve smiles and pulls one out, still steaming. He unwraps half of it and offers it up to the engineer. “Wanna be the first to taste it?” he asks. 

Tony grins and takes a small bite out of it, chewing with his mouth open, his head up as he sucks air into his mouth, cooling the bite down. “Perfect,” Tony murmurs quietly. “Just like mom’s,” he mumbles.

Steve grins, and he can’t stop himself before he leans in, pressing his lips against Tony’s. The look of shock on the engineer’s face is worth it for him. He pops the rest of the muffin into his mouth and throws the wrapper away as he leaves Tony standing in the kitchen, shocked and quiet and smiling to himself.


End file.
